Sudanese Official Asserts African Peacekeepers Aren't Needed

Published: August 26, 2004

ABUJA, Nigeria, Aug. 25—
A top Sudanese official said Wednesday that his country did not need African Union peacekeepers to protect civilians in its troubled western Darfur region but said that the 150 union troops already there to guard observers were welcome to help the government shut down its rebel opponents.

The official, Agriculture Minister Majzoub al-Khalifa Ahmad, maintained that foreign peacekeepers were not necessary in what the United Nations calls the world's worst human calamity, where mostly Arab pro-government militias operate and an estimated 30,000 black Africans have died and some 1.2 million have fled their homes.

''The final role of peacekeeping in Darfur and the protection of civilians is the mandate of the government of Sudan only,'' Mr. Khalifa Ahmad said on the sidelines of peace talks in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. However, he said the 150 African Union troops from Rwanda who are protecting 80 military observers to an often-violated cease-fire in Darfur could escort rebel groups fighting government forces back to their barracks.

He spoke on the third day of African Union-sponsored peace talks between Sudan and two southern mostly black African rebel groups, which took up arms 18 months ago over what they see as unfair treatment by the government in their struggles with Arab countrymen.

Rebels and government delegates finally began work Wednesday on a formal agenda for the Abuja talks after rebels ended a deadlock by agreeing to discuss how their fighters could return to their barracks.

''For the sake of the continuation of the talks and the interest of the people of Darfur in general, we the two movements have decided to make accommodations about these points and to continue with the talks,'' Ahmed Tugod Lissan, head of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement delegation, told reporters.

The rebels still refuse to disarm until the Arab Janjaweed militia lays down its weapons, but returning fighters to their barracks is widely seen as a step toward to demobilization.

The violence in Darfur stems from longstanding tensions between nomadic Arab tribes and their African farming neighbors over dwindling water and agricultural land. --------------------

Sudan Closes Embassy

KHARTOUM, Sudan, Aug. 25 (AP) -- Sudan said Wednesday that it had closed its embassy in Washington after being unable to find a bank that would handle its financial matters.

The Foreign Ministry said the bank that had handled the embassy's transfers from Khartoum for more than 30 years had closed Sudan's account, along with other embassy accounts, in July ''because of difficulties it encountered.''

The ministry statement did not name the bank. The embassy has been the scene of daily demonstrations for several weeks in protest against Sudan's treatment of people in the Darfur region.

The ministry said it had asked the United States State Department for help but ''it failed to convince that bank or find another bank.'' The ministry ordered the embassy to close this week because it could not pay its employees or its utility and other bills.

The statement blamed the United States, saying it was the responsibility of the host country to facilitate the mission of embassies. It said if the situation was not resolved after an unspecified period of time, Sudan would "be obliged to take specific measures as necessary."